Tag Archives: Mental Abuse

Child Abuse, Indifference, Law Enforcement, Mental Abuse, Neglect, Physical Abuse

TN Couple Plead Not Guilty At Arraignment

.jpg photo of man charged in felony abuse of 6 children
Randall Ridenour, 54, of Harriman, Tennessee,

East Tennessee couple charged with
aggravated Child Abuse, assault of
six children

HARRIMAN, TN  –  A couple in Harriman, Tennessee face a slew of aggravated abuse charges of six children, according to a grand jury indictment.

.jpg photo of man charged in felony abuse of 6 children
Michelle Ridenour, 48, of Harriman, Tennessee,

Randall Ridenour, 54, and Michelle Ridenour, 48, of Harriman have been charged with 17 counts of aggravated child abuse, seven counts of aggravated child neglect and five counts of aggravated assault.

The two plead not guilty in an arraignment hearing on Monday, October 26.

The alleged abuses involve six children, ages 6-14, and occurred between Jan. 1, 2018, and June 13 of this year.

According to the list of charges in the indictment, the victims sustained severe bruising from being whipped by a belt.

The charges also allege the couple knowingly treated and neglected the victims, “in such a manner as to inflict injury, and the abuse was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel or involved the infliction of torture to the victim.”

The five counts of aggravated assault listed involve both strangulation or attempted strangulation and the use or display of a deadly weapon, according to court documents.

They are set to appear in court on Friday, Dec. 18.

Better Laws, Child Abuse, Indifference, Mental Abuse, Murder, Physical Abuse

Who Could Starve A Child?

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.jpg photo of man charged with death of 14 year old son
Antonio Juan Gonzalez, 33, charged with homicide, Child Abuse.

Father charged with homicide, Child Abuse after emaciated teen son found dead

MERCER COUNTY, PA  –  A Pennsylvania father is facing charges after his 14-year-old son who only weighed 70 pounds was found dead.

.jpg photo of man charged along with father in death of child
Paul Bacorn, 29, a friend of child’s father, charged with criminal conspiracy and endangering the welfare of a child.

The emaciated teen was discovered outside of the family’s home Thursday morning.

Police say his father Antonio Juan Gonzalez is the one who called 911.

The teen was homeschooled and lived in the home with his father and his 4-year-old sister.

Police say their mother died years ago.

The little girl was average weight and seemed to be in good health.

She’s now in state custody.

Police say they can’t believe the conditions the children had to live in.

Lt. Dan Ekis/state police crime section commander:

“It was squalor conditions.  It was in a country setting.  The victim was found just inside the trailer,” said Lt. Dan Ekis, the state police crime section commander.  “We couldn’t begin to understand what this child went through in fourteen short years, but obviously the way he died, especially at the hands of his father, is especially disturbing.”

Paul Bacorn, a friend of the father, is also facing charges for endangering the welfare of a child and criminal conspiracy.

Meanwhile, authorities are waiting for an autopsy to confirm the teen’s cause of death.

Better Laws, Child Abuse, Indifference, Law Enforcement, Mental Abuse, Murder

Sheriff Deputies Shoot Ax Murderer

.jpg photo of ax murderer
Mark Leo Gregory Gago, 42

Man who murdered 4 in Oregon home,
trying to kill child shot dead by deputies,
police say

A man who killed four people, including a 9-month-old girl, in an Oregon home and was shot and killed by deputies as he was attempting to murder a child on Saturday, police said.

Mark Leo Gregory Gago, 42, was killed following the quadruple murder inside the home near Woodburn, located about 20 miles south of Portland.  Clackamas County deputies said they received a 911 call about 10:15 p.m. Saturday that appeared to be a domestic violence incident that sounded “dramatic, very intense.”

“Deputies knew it was going to be a bad scene,” Clackamas County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Jensen said Sunday morning, KOIN reported.

Police arrived at the scene and found four people — identified as 9-month-old Olivia Lynn Rose Gago;  Shaina E. Sweitzer, 31;  Jerry William Bremer, 66;  and Pamela Denise Bremer, 64 — dead inside and Gago attempting to harm another girl. Authorities said all of the victims were related to Gago, but did not release additional information.

“Deputies saved the life of a young girl by using deadly force on the murder suspect as he was attempting to kill her.  All deputies were uninjured, suspect is deceased,” the sheriff’s office said in a tweet.

The child and a woman, who were not identified, survived the incident and were taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.

Jensen said the four people were not killed by gunfire.  He added that he “cannot explain just how horrific it is inside” the house where the murders occurred.

“We’re not sure what was used at this time.  I’ve been told that there were numerous weapons, swords, things of that nature in the residence.  The investigators are trying to determine what exactly was used to kill each person,” Jensen said.

It’s unclear what led to the deadly domestic incident.

The deputies involved in the shooting were placed on paid administrative leave as a standard protocol during the investigation.

Better Laws, Child Abuse, Indifference, Mental Abuse, Physical Abuse, StopChildAbuse

From Bad To Prison Time

.jpg photo of mother accused of Child Abuse
Lindsey Michelle Smith, 38

Police: Mom charged with abuse tried to
have child kidnapped

RALEIGH, NC  –  A North Carolina woman already charged with child abuse is accused of trying to convince someone to abduct her daughter from her foster home and hide her in Florida until she turns 18.

The News & Observer reports 47-year-old Russell Jay Smith and 38-year-old Lindsey Michelle Smith were charged earlier this year with child abuse for inflicting “serious mental injury” on their pre-teen daughter for more than two years.

.jpg photo of father accused of Child Abuse
Russell Jay Smith, 47

They were accused of putting her through “extreme isolation,” forcing her to remain standing for hours, forbidding her from speaking to her siblings and failing to provide her with adequate education.

Lindsey Smith is now charged with soliciting someone to commit a felony and felony obstruction of justice.  She’s been ordered held without bail.

The report didn’t include comment from her.